Marlon Moraes believes he’ll be next in line for a shot at the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bantamweight title.
Earlier this month, Moraes took on Jimmie Rivera in a potential title eliminator. The bout took place inside the Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, New York. It served as UFC Utica’s main event.
It only took Moraes 33 seconds to earn a knockout victory over “El Terror.” Moraes connected with a head kick and followed up with some punches to seal the deal. “Magic” is now 3-1 inside the Octagon. His only loss in that span was to Raphael Assuncao.
The question now becomes, who gets the next title opportunity at the winner of TJ Dillashaw vs. Cody Garbrandt? Assuncao is riding a three-fight winning streak, but many believe he lacks intrigue. Meanwhile, Moraes is known for his exciting fighting style. Plus, if Dillashaw retains his gold then Moraes would be a fresh opponent for the champion.
During an appearance on MMAFighting.com‘s “The MMA Hour,” Moraes explained why he feels the next title shot is his:
“I’m getting prepared to be the UFC bantamweight champion. Who do the people want to watch, me against Cody, me against Dillashaw, or Raphael? Raphael fought Dillashaw. The fight wasn’t exciting. I think the fans want to see me, even some fans want to see ‘let’s see if this guy’s really good, let’s test him’ and the fans want to see if he can win. So I think I am next.”
Dillashaw is set to defend his gold against Garbrandt in a rematch at UFC 227 on Aug. 4. Demetrious Johnson is also on the card and he’ll defend his flyweight title against Henry Cejudo. If Dillashaw and Johnson are successful, then talks of a bout between the two are bound to pop up again. If that’s the case, then Moraes may have to wait for his title opportunity.
Do you believe Marlon Moraes will receive the next bantamweight title shot?
